Arbouretum has been making doom laden folk metal for the last seven years with a never ending rotation of members and approaches. With their third album, Song of the Pearl just released the band has upped the ante and released their best record yet.
Song of the Pearl is tripped out stoner rock that's embedded with walls of guitar haze, out there vocals, and plodding drums. With the distortion cranked up and the riffs slowed down, Song of the Pearl ends up sounding like a psychedelic trip through a Black Sabbath b-sides collection if Ozzy had worn Birkenstocks. What Arbouretum have written is some depressingly good stuff that's heavy and sounds like it's shrouded in long hair, dressed in corduroy flares, and does things it should not be doing. And while the band may not actually be from the 70's it's very easy to see how they could be confused for one from that period judging by the songs they've come up with.
"False Spring," for example, has this swirly hypnotic groove led by a bassline that booms out of nowhere and takes Arbouretum on a trip around the cosmos. The song's methodic pacing and drawn out ethereal vocals give the song an otherworldy feel which loops itself around your ear drums and takes you along for the ride. It's a magical journey complete with a godlike guitar solo for the ages. "Tomorrow Is A Long Time," is another brilliant sample of just how far out this band really is. While not as psychedelic as "False Spring," the song is a minimal, doomy masterpiece that never reveals itself to actually being the Bob Dylan cover it is. The reworking is a stroke of absolute genius and could very well bring you to tears. As an album closer, this song says more in it's five minutes then most bands say in their career.
Psychedelic, heavy, doomy, rootsy, and epic in nature, Song of the Pearl is an exceptionally cool record. The albums use of distortion, plodding rhythms, and circular basslines take this record out into space and to the universe beyond. While it might be riddled with grief and gloom, Song of the Pearl is a headtrip in every sense of the word. So much so, when Abouretum sing, "come along, we'll ride together," you can't help but want to tag along.
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